Tweet
Vernamfield flying high - Aviation school scheduled as part of airstrip's development
Published: Saturday | March 28, 2009
This twin-engine Cessna aricraft on the tarmac at the Vernamfield airstrip in Clarendon carried drugs to Jamaica in 2007. [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Development[/COLOR][/COLOR] of the airstrip is intended in the near future, hopefully negating illicit activities. - file VERNAMFIELD, Clarendon:
Local construction firm, Surrey Paving and Aggregate, has partnered with Singapore's Air Transport [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Training[/COLOR][/COLOR] College (ATTC) to open the Caribbean Aerospace College in Jamaica.
The [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]college[/COLOR][/COLOR]
will provide training in aircraft engineering.
Chairman of Surrey Paving, Leslie Chang, provided details of the project at a special forum for high school students at the Hilton Kingston Jamaica hotel in New Kingston earlier this week.
The institution, he explained, would operate as a satellite school of the ATTC, which is the training arm of the Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers (SIAE). He informed that classes, in what would be a non-profit organisation, would begin in June this year.
permanent home
The school will have a permanent home at the Vernamfield airstrip in Clarendon, but until the facility is completed, classes will be held at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) campus, the Air Jamaica Aircraft Maintenance Training Facility, and Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).
Chang explained that the initiative evolved out of a visit to Singapore by a Jamaican delegation headed by Mike Henry, transport and works minister, just over a year ago for the Asian Airport Summit.
During the visit, the issue of developing Vernamfield was brought to the fore.
The first set of students will be drawn mainly from the bauxite sector, as part of a move to diversify the range of mechanical engineering applicable within the industry.
"The second cohort, scheduled to begin in September 2009, is designed to accommodate school leavers, who wish to take on the challenge of a very serious and hi-tech profession," said Chang, explaining the next step.
In expressing his support for the initiative, Henry highlighted the importance of public and private sector cooperation, pointing out that the college would be established at no cost to the government or taxpayers.
The transport minister said it was essential to enhance the training of the engineers for the aviation industry, as there were many opportunities.
President of the Caribbean Aerospace College, Jamie Chang, expressed confidence that graduates of the institution would be able to gain [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]employment[/COLOR][/COLOR], as there was a shortage of aerospace technicians worldwide.
"I feel confident that in starting the Caribbean Aerospace College, (we) will be able to place the graduates from the college, whether they are placed locally in Jamaica, in the Caribbean, North America or worldwide," he said.
'training the trainers'
In the meantime, four aircraft mechanic instructors at the college left for Singapore on March 12, where they will participate in a 10-week training course at the ATTC, as part of its "train the trainers" programme.
The college, which will also operate as a private school, is registered with the Singapore Ministry of Education and accredited by the [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]University[/COLOR][/COLOR] Council of Jamaica to grant diploma and degree-level qualifications. The college's technical training curriculum has been approved by the JCAA.
Published: Saturday | March 28, 2009
This twin-engine Cessna aricraft on the tarmac at the Vernamfield airstrip in Clarendon carried drugs to Jamaica in 2007. [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Development[/COLOR][/COLOR] of the airstrip is intended in the near future, hopefully negating illicit activities. - file VERNAMFIELD, Clarendon:
Local construction firm, Surrey Paving and Aggregate, has partnered with Singapore's Air Transport [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Training[/COLOR][/COLOR] College (ATTC) to open the Caribbean Aerospace College in Jamaica.
The [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]college[/COLOR][/COLOR]
will provide training in aircraft engineering.
Chairman of Surrey Paving, Leslie Chang, provided details of the project at a special forum for high school students at the Hilton Kingston Jamaica hotel in New Kingston earlier this week.
The institution, he explained, would operate as a satellite school of the ATTC, which is the training arm of the Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers (SIAE). He informed that classes, in what would be a non-profit organisation, would begin in June this year.
permanent home
The school will have a permanent home at the Vernamfield airstrip in Clarendon, but until the facility is completed, classes will be held at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) campus, the Air Jamaica Aircraft Maintenance Training Facility, and Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).
Chang explained that the initiative evolved out of a visit to Singapore by a Jamaican delegation headed by Mike Henry, transport and works minister, just over a year ago for the Asian Airport Summit.
During the visit, the issue of developing Vernamfield was brought to the fore.
The first set of students will be drawn mainly from the bauxite sector, as part of a move to diversify the range of mechanical engineering applicable within the industry.
"The second cohort, scheduled to begin in September 2009, is designed to accommodate school leavers, who wish to take on the challenge of a very serious and hi-tech profession," said Chang, explaining the next step.
In expressing his support for the initiative, Henry highlighted the importance of public and private sector cooperation, pointing out that the college would be established at no cost to the government or taxpayers.
The transport minister said it was essential to enhance the training of the engineers for the aviation industry, as there were many opportunities.
President of the Caribbean Aerospace College, Jamie Chang, expressed confidence that graduates of the institution would be able to gain [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]employment[/COLOR][/COLOR], as there was a shortage of aerospace technicians worldwide.
"I feel confident that in starting the Caribbean Aerospace College, (we) will be able to place the graduates from the college, whether they are placed locally in Jamaica, in the Caribbean, North America or worldwide," he said.
'training the trainers'
In the meantime, four aircraft mechanic instructors at the college left for Singapore on March 12, where they will participate in a 10-week training course at the ATTC, as part of its "train the trainers" programme.
The college, which will also operate as a private school, is registered with the Singapore Ministry of Education and accredited by the [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]University[/COLOR][/COLOR] Council of Jamaica to grant diploma and degree-level qualifications. The college's technical training curriculum has been approved by the JCAA.